Hodan Hassan

Foundations Semester 2 Guiding Questions

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Week 1 Guiding Questions

1. Go through your Field Experience Binder and locate a lesson that went well.
2. Questions to consider and then discuss:
a. Why do you consider this a lesson that went well?
I think that the lesson went well because students were actively participating in the Jeopardy
game.
b. What is the focus of the your rationale for it going well? (content of lesson, classroom
management, you as a teacher, your students, your associate teacher, instructional strategy,
planning, etc.)
My rationale for the lesson going well was because the lesson focused on a way to have students
review the economy unit before taking the unit test in an engaging way.
c. What things did YOU do to contribute to the success of the lesson?
The things that I did to contribute to the success of the lesson was giving most of the control to
the students and organizing the lesson with my students in mind.
d. Review your reflection entry for that lesson.
I found that planning this lesson was very time-consuming but the jeopardy game was definitely
the most enjoyable part in the economy unit. Students were engaged and having fun in helping
their group members answer the review questions. Overall, I did find that bringing a new review
method that encourages students to work as a team is very engaging and fun.
e. What is the focus of your reflective entry?
The focus of my reflective entry was student-centered engagement when reviewing content.
f. How did you know learners learned?
I knew that my students learned when I saw students collaborating with each other as a team. I
also saw an improvement in their marks for the economy unit.
g. What might you have done differently? Why?
I think that I could have created sub-questions for students when they answered a question in the
game. When creating the sub-questions, students would provide their opinion on why they
answered a question in a particular way which would result in a class discussion.
3. Now go through your Field Experience Binder and locate a lesson that DID NOT go well
OR did not go AS well as the previous lesson you considered. Questions to consider and then
discuss:
a. Why do you consider this a lesson DID NOT go well?
A lesson that did not go well was a congruent figures November 26 lesson in my Grade 7 math
class.
b. What is the focus of the your rationale for it not going well? (content of lesson, classroom
management, you as a teacher, your students, your associate teacher, instructional strategy,
planning, etc.)

Hodan Hassan

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Prior to the lesson, I thought that using a lecture model that my associate teacher has used in the
other two sections of Grade 7 math class would work with my class. Unfortunately, using a
lecture model did not work with my students as I did not frame my lesson with my classroom
environment and my students in mind.
c. What things did YOU that contributed to the lesson not going well?
Things that contributed to the lesson not going well were due to not having my students in mind
when creating the lesson. By not having my students in mind when creating the lesson, my
lesson on congruent figures was more teacher-centered rather than student-centered.
d. Review your reflection entry for that lesson.
I think that the lesson went poorly as most students were not engaged with the lesson. I used a
lecture-style for the lesson and I felt that the lecture method did not work because students have
many different learning needs. For my future lessons, I would need to use differentiated
instruction effectively.
e. What is the focus of your reflective entry?
The focus of my reflective entry was students being disengaged with the content in the lesson
and the lesson being teacher-centered.
f. What might you have done differently? Why?
I should have had the lesson be more student-centered by including more anticipated responses
and sub-questions in my lesson. I think that by not having my lesson student-centered, the
students in my class were disengaged and did not really learn much about congruent figures.
Week 2 Guiding Questions
1. Why is it important to access information about teaching and learning from peer-reviewed
sources?
It is important to access information about teaching and learning from peer-reviewed sources
because peer reviewed sources are reliable and have been credited by editors and publishing
companies. Furthermore, peer-reviewed sources include extensive research on the main topic to
ensure credibility for the academic community.
2. As you searched your peer-reviewed paper: What terms did you use? What search options
did you use? Describe the decision process picking the paper you chose to summarize?
I used both UOIT library resources and jstor.org as well to find my article. When searching I
used inquiry-learning and English classroom as keywords. When I found articles, I would
download the article and skim through the summary of article to find out if the articles relevant
to my topic of interest.
3. What was most challenging about your searching and summarizing process?
I found that finding a research article that was relevant to my topic of interest was a bit
challenging at first. For instance, I found a lot of articles that dealt with inquiry in other
disciplines (science) and it was a bit challenging to find an article that dealt with inquiry-based
learning in the English classroom.

Hodan Hassan

Foundations Semester 2 Guiding Questions

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Week 3 Guiding Questions

1. BEFORE you begin to explore the resources, how do YOU describe inquiry-based learning?
I would describe inquiry-based learning as student centered learning where students can explore
new ideas and knowledge and have control over their learning.
2. BEFORE you begin to explore the resources, what questions do you have about inquirybased learning?
Questions that I have are:
How might we implement inquiry-based learning in the classroom?
Why is inquiry-based learning necessary for students?
If students have not been exposed to inquiry-based learning, how might we positively encourage
a student-centered classroom?
3. How are project-based, problem-based, and design-based learning activities similar? How
are they different?
I think that project-based, problem-based and design-based learning are similar because they ask
students to take control over their own learning rather than having the teacher explain everything
and students are just transmitting information on evaluations. However, there may be
misconceptions within project-based and design-based learning as teachers may think that
students would take complete control of their learning without teachers preparing effectively for
lessons. As Barron and Darling-Hammond mention successful inquiry-based approaches
require careful planning and the development of strategies for collaboration, classroom
interaction, and assessment (Barron and Darling-Hammond, p.8). Furthermore, we are asking
students to think critically and became independent learners so that when they are adults they can
question and lead in real-world scenarios.
4. Describe the process you used to guide your process in learning about inquiry-based
learning. How will you use this experience to help you as a teacher in working with your own
students?
When reading the inquiry-based resources, I highlighted quotes that related to my initial
questions on inquiry-based learning. For instance, I found the Getting started with student
inquiry reading addressed my question on how to introduce inquiry-based learning to students
who may not familiar with the concept.
Week 4 Guiding Questions
1. What is your current understanding of differentiated instruction (DI)?
I think that differentiated instruction is about addressing students learning needs in the classroom
and being open-minded to different teaching strategies to meet learners.
2. How do your original ideas about DI compare to what you read or viewed?
I think that differentiated instruction is not just about addressing students learning needs but to
also learn more about your students by using flexible work groups.
Week 5 Guiding Questions

Hodan Hassan

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1. How have you changed as a teacher and learner thus far? Why?
I think that I have changed thus far as a teacher because I am now focusing on how in ways to
encourage learners to think critically rather than focusing on just the what to teach. I found
that my placement gave me a wake-up call in how diverse classrooms are in terms of learning
needs and prior knowledge. Furthermore, I am learning that every classroom is different and I
need to learn more about my students to provide a positive learning environment.
Week 6 Guiding Questions
1. Think back to previous tests/quizzes/exams you have written. What immediately comes to
mind? Why? What types of reactions do you think others might have regarding
tests/quizzes/exams?
I remember taking exams in university that were worth 50% or 60% of my final grade.
Personally, I disliked exams that were worth so much because I felt anxious that I was going to
fail the class. I also felt that my work throughout the semester was meaningless because the only
thing that mattered to my professor was the exam.
2. Based on your own experiences, why have classroom tests/quizzes/exams been criticized by
educational stakeholders?
I think that exams have been criticized by educators because the questions that are asked in
exams do not promote higher-order thinking as most questions require memorization.
3. As a teacher, what are some pros/cons of tests/quizzes/exams? As a student, where are some
pros/cons of tests/quizzes/exams?
As a teacher, the pros of tests would be that they are easy to assess compared to culminating
tasks. The cons would be that tests do not assess every student accurately.
4. How have your previous tests/quizzes/exams reflected or not reflected what you have
learned about creating tests?
I think that exams can be helpful for a class that has a lot of students but they should also be
written in student friendly language and address topics that were covered in class.
5. Going back to question number 2 above, using the information you have viewed/read, why
have classroom tests/quizzes/exams been criticized by educational stakeholders?
I think that exams have been criticized by educators because some exams are set up to trick
students by covering content that has not been covered in class. Furthermore, the content
covered may use convergent questions that do not promote higher-order and critical thinking.
6. How will YOU as a teacher incorporate some of this week's content into your teaching?
As a teacher, I would make sure that I review questions that are asked on tests and decide
effectively whether the questions asked accurately reflect the percentage of time covered in class.
Furthermore, I would make sure that the test questions promote higher-order and critically
thinking by using Blooms taxonomy when creating tests.

Hodan Hassan

Foundations Semester 2 Guiding Questions

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Week 7 Guiding Questions

1. After reading this weeks resources, what are the key components that you think are required
in a classroom management philosophy? For example, what sections would you include in a
philosophy of classroom management? Include a rationale for each component (using the
readings as a guide).
I think that the components that are required in a classroom management philosophy are treating
students with respect, making sure that lessons are organized with the students in mind and
building a sense of community in the classroom. Treating students with respect in the classroom
is important because as a teacher you do not want to create power struggles between your
students. In Research for Teachers, Christine Richmond mentions that problematic
imbalances easily occur in teachers managing talk. Imbalances almost inevitably lead to an
escalation in there managing conversations resulting in less time for learning and more
frustration for everyone (Richmond, p.2). I think that power struggles in the classroom do lead
to more class time being wasted on controlling rather than learning. Furthermore, teachers
should also make sure that lessons are organized with their students in mind. Paul Pedotas
Strategies for Effective Classroom Management in the Secondary Setting, Pedota mentions
that plan for a variety of instructional experiences and keep students actively involved. You
will find that by avoiding the sameness of daily classes, you will help prevent discipline
problems. One way that this can be accomplished is by allowing students to be active
participants in learning rather than passive learners (Pedota, p.164). I think that making sure
that your lessons are student-centered can promote engagement as responsibility is placed in the
students. Furthermore, building a sense of community is important in the classroom as students
feel free and safe to share their ideas and opinions to the class. An example of creating
community in the classroom is in the Tribes learning communities program.
2. Once you have established the required components (with rationale), begin to populate the
sections for your future practice. Be sure to include in-text citations to support the "why" behind
the "what".
How I would treat students with respect are by greeting students as they enter the class,
providing students discussion time to discuss class work, and by being flexible and fair with
assignment deadlines. As Pedota argues if rules are firm, fair, and followed consistently, you
will be able to handle most situations that may infringe on the use of instructional time (Pedota,
p.164). How I would make sure that my lessons are organized with the students in mind is by
including anticipated responses and sub-questions into my daily classroom discussions,
providing enough wait-time for students to respond, and rich group discussions where each
students have a specific role and responsibilities in their group. As Pedota mentions moving
around the room as you call on volunteers as well as non-volunteers will ensure that all students
are on task as you build a climate for learning (Pedota, p.164). Furthermore, how I would build
a sense of community in the classroom are by learning more about my students (can be done at
the beginning of the year through icebreakers), connect content to real-world scenarios and their
interests, being open to new ideas proposed by students (in-class evaluation).

Hodan Hassan

Foundations Semester 2 Guiding Questions

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Week 8 Guiding Questions

1. Review and revise your classroom management philosophy so that it encompasses MORE
than just responses to misbehaviours. For example, review Garrett's (2013) five domains (we
reviewed them last week) and use as a guide to organize last week's resources/ideas/tips AND
this week's resources/ideas/tips.
Garretts Five Domains in Classroom Management
1. Developing an organized physical layout of the classroom
Organizing the classroom so that the physical layout of the classroom promotes student-centered
learning through small group discussions and expert group activities is important. The Council of
Ontario Directors of Education asks teachers to use bulletin boards [as they] may reflect how
the subject is linked to society, further education, and work opportunities. These displays help to
foster enthusiasm for the subject and motivation to learn. Also, examples of student work at
appropriate levels should be visible and frequently changed (Council of Ontario Directors of
Education, 2004, p.29).
2. Developing clear rules and routines
Making sure that classroom rules and routines are consistent and have been created with
students consent is important in establishing a democratic classroom environment. The Council
of Ontario Directors of Education asks teachers to establish, maintain and manage a set of
effective and appropriate classroom routines, procedures and expectations that are developed
with the students and are appropriate for their age and grade (Council of Ontario Directors of
Education, 2004, p.30).
3. Establishing caring relationships with and among students
Furthermore, building a sense of community is important in the classroom as students feel free
and safe to share their ideas and opinions to the class. An example of creating community in the
classroom is in the Tribes learning communities program.
4. Planning and implementing engaging instruction
Furthermore, teachers should also make sure that lessons are organized with their students in
mind. Paul Pedotas Strategies for Effective Classroom Management in the Secondary Setting,
Pedota mentions that plan for a variety of instructional experiences and keep students actively
involved. You will find that by avoiding the sameness of daily classes, you will help prevent
discipline problems. One way that this can be accomplished is by allowing students to be active
participants in learning rather than passive learners (Pedota, 2007, p.164). I think that making
sure that your lessons are student-centered can promote engagement as responsibility is placed in
the students.
5. Addressing misbehaviours
I think that the components that are required in a classroom management philosophy are treating
students with respect, making sure that lessons are organized with the students in mind and
building a sense of community in the classroom. Treating students with respect in the classroom
is important because as a teacher you do not want to create power struggles between your
students. In Research for Teachers, Christine Richmond mentions that problematic
imbalances easily occur in teachers managing talk. Imbalances almost inevitably lead to an

Hodan Hassan

Foundations Semester 2 Guiding Questions

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escalation in there managing conversations resulting in less time for learning and more
frustration for everyone (Richmond, 2012, p.2). I think that power struggles in the classroom
do lead to more class time being wasted on controlling rather than learning.
Week 9 Guiding Questions
1.
In what area(s) are YOU especially hoping to grow as an educator-learner? Why? How
will you go about developing this/these area(s)?
An area that I would like to grow in as an educator are in learning more about classroom
management and differentiated instruction because these were the areas that I personally
struggled in during my first placement. My plan for this upcoming placement is to prepare
effectively for lessons and to seek feedback from my associate teacher.
2.
How have your notions of teaching/teachers and/or learning/learners changed since starting
this program? Why?
My notions of teaching has changed from starting the program as I initially focused on the
content to teach in the classroom. Currently, I have learned that there is more than just content
that is important in the classroom (building a sense of community in the classroom, classroom
management).